I See Fire
by Werewolfs Rule
Summary: The afterlife of Lucy Grace and the new life of James Zhang. Appearances made by Esperanza Valdez, Emily and Frank Zhang, and Stephan McLean. Mentions of Michael, Jason, and Piper Grace; Olivia Zhang; Nico di Angelo; and Nico Valdez.
1. Lucy

**Lucy**

She remembered blinding heat; it ran through her bloodstream and made her want to scream. She remembered the pale white walls, the pale white sheets, and her father's pale white face. She remembered hearing herself and her family crying; her mother in tears as she tried to charmspeak her better; he father holding her brothers as all three of them cried, sitting in one of the hard boring hospital chairs.

Most of all, she remembered that she had been six.

Standing at the gates of Elysium, she felt older, but not old enough to match many of the lost faces that she saw beyond those gates, and walking past her inside. She felt all the feeling in her legs leave, and then she collapsed.

_**Seven Years Later**_

It wasn't the first time she had been grabbed and it wouldn't be the last time either. Almost every night after she was done singing, someone would come after her.

The first time, she tried to push them off, scream, fight. Nothing worked. She stopped trying after then.

Until tonight, she didn't know if she was finally getting some luck.

The man, whichever one it was this time, had stopped moments after she told them to go away. Then she heard a sickening _crack_, followed by a high pitch scream.

The fallen soldier, still in his burnt army fatigues, held out his hand.

For the first time in seven years, she felt hope, warmth, and love.

The fallen soldier introduced himself as Frank, he told her about his wife and children –three sons, one daughter-, about his mother, about his friends –the ones he knew were alive, the ones that were lost and to never be found. He was a kind man, though a bit threatening with his size and the way he held himself, he had also told her that he was a son of the war god Mars, as if that made his appearance and size reasonable.

He asked her about her family, about her life _before_. She told him the little that she knew, that she remembered.

Her name was Lucy, but she liked to be called Louie. She had parents, but they fought often. She had two brothers, one older and one younger, Stevie and Mike. She also noted that her grandmother was a goddess.

He told her that she could pass off as a child of Aphrodite.

She asked him to never say that again.

_**One Year Later**_

She had seen them Friday night since she started her little tradition. They sat at the corner table, quiet and drinking beer as they people watched and listened to her sing.

Frank sat at a table closer to the middle of the room, but still off to the side.

"_I see fire, feel the heat upon my skin_*," I sang, just like I did every Friday night. The song was the only one that I remembered from before; it was the one that I felt confident enough to sing in public.

The tavern clapped and cheered, I took my bow and climbed off the stage.

"Sit with us," said the tan skinned woman. She had the same burn marks on her skin as Frank; she had the same death as him. The only difference was that her's were older, less noticeable than Frank's.

"No thank you," I told the pair, the paler skin woman rolled her eyes.

"We've been meaning to buy you a drink for years," said the tan one, holding up her beer, "we'll buy your friend one too."

"I'm underage, I can't drink." I went to walk away, but the pale one said:

"He's my son, Frank."

I found his eyes easily, he was ready to jump into action, but a simple shake of my head and a wave of my hand had him coming over to the table.

For the first time ever, I noticed that it was meant to sit at least six or eight people, but the two woman sat together with no one bothering them.

"Valdez." The first word to leave Frank's mouth once he came over, his eyes locked on the tan skinned woman. "What are you dragging me into Louie?"

"Their usual's, Frank. Listening to me sing for the last eight years," I told him, while the tan skinned woman laughed at Frank's question.

"He must have _mijo_, Leo, Em," said the tan one, "though obviously our boys didn't hit it off like we did."

"Anza," said Em, a smile on her lips. "They don't even seem to know who we are."

"Mom?"

For the first time ever, I saw Frank smile. A real smile, not one of his 'I'm-happy-for-you' pity smiles that he gave out like parents gave out candy on Halloween night. He sat down beside Em and gave her one of his signature 'bear' hugs.

"Sit Louie, it'll be okay."

That was easy for him to say, he had was with his mother.

Moving in with Esperanza Valdez and Emily Zhang was nice. They had a few spare rooms, though more so for the thought of their sons. I took the room that was meant for Leo Valdez, it felt weird seeing as I was sure I knew of a man name Leo.

Tìo Leo.

The only problem was James.

I couldn't sneak off and see him as easily before.

He was in a hard place, his father had died a year ago and he was still in pain. I don't remember when we first started meeting or how we started meeting.

But when I was with him, I felt like I was the right age for once. He was fourteen, so I would be fifteen. He was cute, though his attitude needed to change if he wanted his family to continue to love him.

But I didn't judge, as he never judged me.

_**Six Years Later**_

I stopped aging in the human world when I would've been twenty. That was a year ago, when I visited James and he was nineteen. He was twenty now, and so was I.

James was an officer for the United States Army Corps. He was also tall and handsome, with a beautiful smile and dark brown eyes that light up whenever he's excited. He was almost always in fatigues or camouflage, and he always wore think soled black boots. He was dark skinned with even darker curly hair, which he kept well-trimmed. And the way he had with weapons, he was true to the son of Mars motif.

"They ran off, Olivia and Nico. They're in Canada, they're getting married, Lou," he whispered to me, we were at one of the two camps, sitting up in the trees. No one could see me, no one except for James.

"You should be happy, they are."

"They're stupid, too young."

I sighed; James had given up on love a long time ago. Aphrodite had cursed him, told him that he wouldn't find love in this lifetime. I told him to have hope for the next, but he didn't listen.

Boys weren't very good at that as I had found out over the years.

"Don't give them a hard time," I told him, he sighed.

I returned to Elysium.

_**Three Years Later**_

Their names were Alice and Franklin. They could see me, but they weren't the ones that had called me.

"Hello little ones," I whispered, Alice had soft curls and her father's features, Franklin had wispy hair and his mother's features. Though I could only see Esperanza and Emily and Frank in them for some reason.

"She didn't want kids, but neither did my parents."

"Maybe that's a sign, James."

The last time I saw him was three years ago, but I felt honored to be here to see his niece and nephew now. I would never have children, but it was delight to see these two.

"Of course you would say that."

I didn't expect to see him the way I did when I turned around. Haunted. Scared. Lost.

That wasn't my James.

"What happened?" I whispered, I touched his uniform, straightening and smoothing down every sharp edge and corner. He looked much older than twenty-three.

When did he get older than me?

His forehead dipped and touched mine, our lips inches away.

"I missed you, Lucy."

_**Two Weeks Later**_

Hospitals didn't change in seventeen years, whether they were in California, New York, or China. They were still white, still painful, still filled with death and life; the never ending cycle of wounded coming in and going back out. And I still hated them.

James was fading in and out.

"Hi."

"You came."

I smiled, and then kissed him lightly as we both faded away.

_**Friday Night ~ Three Days Later**_

"_I see fire, hollowing souls_*," I sang, as the stranger in the army fatigues took a seat that Frank occupied so many years ago when he would wait for me. "_I see fire, blood in the breeze_*."

**A/N:** Part one of two of my Lucy Grace/James Zhang story. I obviously have an obsession with the Zhang family, as I did originally plan on writing an Olivia Zhang story. That didn't happen and now I have Lucy and James to keep me company.

*The lyrics are from the song: I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. He was the original inspiration for Lucy Grace, as I was obsessed with this song and Lucy when I first heard it. The song has a great meaning to Lucy, as it's her only real memory from her life 'before', Tristian –Piper's dad- would play it for Lucy and her brothers.


	2. James

**James**

The first time I saw her, I was thirteen and my dad had just died.

I saw her before I even found out. I think that it should've been an omen, but I didn't take it as that. She was lost, and I wanted another friend.

That was how it started, and then I found out about dad.

She always wore the same sort of clothes, it didn't matter where we were or what was going on. She always had on converse shoes; they were purple and black plaid. She always had on a skirt, the length was different –short- as I got older, and the color of it was always white. Her shirt was always purple, as if to match her shoes without seeming to try, the cut was always different, seeming to depend on my age and the weather outside. Sometimes she wore an army camouflage jacket –like the ones me and my siblings grew up wearing- but if it was warm out she would either have it tied around her waist or not at all.

She never wore makeup, even when I felt like she should've. She had the strangest skin tone, as if she was permanently a light tan. Her eyes were blue or green, a mix of the two, but they were striking. And she had long wavy blonde hair, though I was sure that it was a bit out of place with the rest of her family.

She always had her hair braided with flowers, ribbons, or feathers, she never told me why though.

She stopped aging after I turned nineteen.

Her name was Lucy, but she liked to be called Louie.

I always called her Lou.

As I got older, I needed her less and less, until I only called on her when I wanted her.

Mine, Marcus, and Olivia's graduations; Olivia's marriage; Marcus' miscarriage; Olivia's twins; my death.

My _death_.

That was the last time I saw her before.

_**Three Days Later**_

I had never heard a voice like this one; at least I never heard one singing before. Charmspeak singing? I would have to ask someone about that. Her voice was so powerful, that I could see the same images as her, I could feel the emotion thick and heavy in the air, but I wasn't affected like the others in the room. Charmspeak never affected me, it never had, but I knew a charmspeaker –or singer- when I heard one.

Once she was done, I clapped politely like everyone else, and then made my way to the door. I would be back later; hopefully she would be done with her little show then.

"Excuse me, the man in the fatigues. Please meet me at the stage door around the corner."

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the tiny bar on me. I walked out the door before anyone could tell me to go after her, before they could try to encourage me.

When I found her, she was waiting just outside the door; her hand was still on the door, just in case. She smiled once she saw me.

Her kiss surprised me.

_**Next Morning**_

I woke up to the sound of laughter and a cold bed. Wherever Lulu went –as she said her name was-, it had to be where the laughter was. Someone had left clothes out for me, which I put on quickly and walked out the door.

A group of four was sitting at a table –with an extra chair pulled up- eating, talking, and laughing. Lulu noticed me first and began to make a plate for me.

"Sit with us James, tell us about yourself," she demanded, I raised an eyebrow at her, _did she know that she was charmspeaking?_ "Please?"

I sat and smiled at the food that Lulu had put on my food, then I noticed the choice of eating utensils, a fork or chop sticks. I gladly picked up the pair of shop sticks and began eating. The last time I had an authentic Chinese breakfast was before dad died.

"James," said Lulu, cautiously, "do you even know what you're eating?"

"Chinese food," I told her, she rolled her eyes, "spicy noodles and baozi, which is like a steamed roll filled with vegetables and meat. Why?"

"Just curious," she said, and then smirked as she ran her foot up the calf of my leg.

"And tea," I said, taking a sip from the cup in front of me.

"Of course, we can't have a normal breakfast without tea," said Lulu, I smiled; she had no idea how much tea my family drank.

"No, you can't, no one else on base understood," I told her, as I continued to eat, "tea is the most important part of the meal. It helps set the mood for the day."

"I like him Luce," said one of the woman at the table. It was odd, but I felt like I had seen her face before, in an old photograph or something. Then it clicked.

"Emily Zhang," I said, recognizing my grandmother, she smiled. I looked around the table, the other woman looked like Leo and Nico Valdez.

And there was my….

"Dad?"

"It's good to see you again, James."

Lou squeezed my leg and smiled at me, I had a feeling this would be my new home.

_**One Year Later**_

"Play for me, James," charmspoke Louie, I rolled my eyes. Before it didn't affect me because of Aphrodite's curse, now it didn't affect me because I was in love with her. "Please?"

"What do you want me to play?" I asked her, she rubbed my legs and rested her head on my chest. It was three in the morning by before standards, but it didn't seem to affect anyone here.

"Anything, I feel like singing," she said, then leaned forward and kissed me softly on my chin.

"You sang last night," I told her, playing with one of her braids. "You sing every night."

"You never play the piano though," she whispered in my ear, "I love hearing you play. You have a wonderful voice also."

I smiled and dipped my head to kiss her, but she wasn't lying with me anymore. I looked up to see her pulling her tank-top back on. "I'll be out in the living room; maybe I'll watch a movie with Anza and Frank."

I sighed and grabbed my pants, pulling them on as she walked out the door. I ran out after her and pulled her up into my arms as I reached her.

"Get a room you two!" Anza half yelled, half laughed at us.

I threw Louie at Anza and grabbed the piano/keyboard. "What am I playing Lou? Anything good?"

_**Seventy Years Later**_

It had been weird when my mother had joined us, then Piper and Jason, Leo and Calypso, and finally Percy and Annabeth. Slowly afterwards came my siblings and family friends. What was weirder was that even though most of them died in their seventies and eighties, they looked thirty years old at the oldest. When Olivia died and her souls parted –as in her's and Nico di Angelo's parted- di Angelo explained that we became the age that we were at our most physically and mentally fit.

But with more people to house, we had to get a bigger place to stay. Collectively we found a space big enough to house everyone and those who had yet to come along.

"Lou, what are you planning on doing?" I asked Louie as she climbed up on the patio table that I had spent two days scourging Elysium for.

"Piper and Jason's son is coming today, your sister said so," she explained, as if it made her climbing up on a table reasonable. "I was going to play for his after-coming."

"Come on Lou," I said, holding my arms out, "you really don't actually want to meet Stephan. He's not the nicest person in the world, before or after."

"I never met him James, and you died when you were twenty-three, you wouldn't know him in his later life," she said, falling into my arms.

I set her down, and then kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to get hurt, I love you too much."

"I love you too, James," she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me inside.

I hadn't been expecting the reaction Stephan –or Louie- would have upon seeing each other; the shock, the happiness, and then over whelming feeling of anger. At me. Stephan acted as if I was the bane to Louie's existence.

He had no idea how much more I hated him than before.

"Lou," I said, taking her hand.

"Stay away from my sister Zhang," said Stephan pulling her to him.

"Stevie, James is my husband."

"What? When did you do that?"

I sighed, and grabbed Louie's hand. When did we get marry? Was it fifty years ago? Sixty? Sixty-five? Louie entwined her fingers in mine and leaned up to kiss my chin.

"About Sixty-seven years ago, Stevie. I've been in love with him since he was eighteen years old," said Louie, I circled my arms around her waist, and then kissed her hair.

Stephan then chased me out of the house, and he continued after me until the three of us reached the Lethe.

Louie fell in, Stephan and I jumped in after to save her.

_**Seventeen Years Later**_

"Lucy! Mom and dad want you to come in!" Stephan yelled from the front porch.

"I love you, James," Lucy whispered, reaching up on her toes to kiss me.

"I love you too, Lou," I whispered back as her lips touched mine.

**A/N:** Stephan is a very protective older brother, but he couldn't keep James and Lucy away from one another in their next life. I do think that the scene with the River Lethe is cheesy, but I was having trouble writing the scene and it was late at night –or early in the morning- and I don't want to change it, lazy college student coming out here.

I know someone is going to ask about Olivia and Nico, but that's a different story, that has two deaths and maybe even some time travel from Mars. Though when I originally sat down to write, this was going to be an Olivia story.

Lucy wanted to be written though, and I couldn't leave out James either.


End file.
